Radical Luxury Redefined

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The Good Place writer Megan Amram is running one of the most epic Emmy campaigns in tinsel town. Getting right to the point, Amram created “An Emmy for Megan” a six-episode scripted web series designed for one purpose, to win the comedy writer an Emmy award for outstanding actress in a short-form comedy or drama. The impressively meta web show is filmed documentary style with Amram playing herself, a comedy writer creating a web series to win an Emmy, and features cameos from celebs like Ted Danson, who currently stars on The Good Place, and even Emmy winners like Alan Yang, who won for Netflix’s Master of None. After watching all six episodes, we have to say she has our vote.

Off-White’s Virgil Abloh was quick to jump on last year’s viral IKEA Frakta bag moment by designing a cardboard-colored iteration of the piece. This time, however, Abloh and IKEA are officially partnering up for an entire collection and have taken to the internet to ask for feedback in the collection’s final stages. Abloh recently showcased a few fun pieces from his collection through a YouTube livestream on IKEA Today, where viewers were encouraged to comment and leave feedback so Abloh could amend the collection before the final prototypes are released in June. By inviting consumers to become cocreators, the interactive broadcast not only generates more buzz surrounding the collection launch, it also raises the bar for big brands to bring consumers into the creation process.

High-end department store Selfridges has partnered with Louis Vuitton, Google Pixel 2, Loewe, and more to launch an exhibition titled “The Flipside” in The Old Selfridges Hotel in London. Featuring installations that explore the meaning of radical luxury, each contributor curated a unique experience to express that luxury is transient, one of a kind, and transformative: Louis Vuitton’s travel-inspired installation features eccentric gold islands hanging from the ceiling, while Google Pixel 2 explores visual luxury (aka content for Instagram) by providing a special photography tour where attendees can create portraits of themselves using the Google Pixel 2. A testament to how consumers’ notion of luxury is becoming rapidly redefined, the free exhibition is open until May 20th and worth a visit, even if only for an Instagram post.

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Bringing LA-level wellness to the desert seems to be a trend this year. Angelenos looking to connect with nature without giving up all the amenities they’re used to in the city should check out Camp’d Out, a Venice Beach-based lifestyle brand offering luxury tent rentals and experiences. Recently, the brand took to Joshua Tree for an Instagrammable activation, offering campers picturesque tents complete with boutique bedding and swag from Health-Ade and Nomadica. Taking their clientele’s complex dietary needs into account, Camp’d Out also partnered with farm-to-table catering company Moonrise Standard to offer healthy, gourmet dishes that make “roughing it” a little smoother. Down the street in Indio, we noticed this year’s Coachella Valley Music festival also placed significant emphasis on wellness. To get Trendera’s complete take on everything Coachella—people, food, fashion, and more—be sure to check out our new Festival Recap.

Those looking for alternative social platforms after they #DeleteFacebook need look no further than Secure Scuttlebutt. Praised by computer programmers that were aware of Facebook’s data usage far before the general public, the decentralized social platform is built with an open-source software and allows users to stay in touch with friends securely. Similar to other social platforms, users can post status updates, photos, and browse curated channels to find and follow new and interesting people outside of their network. Unlike Facebook, where users have no control of their own data, Scuttlebutt believes that a user should own and control their own data by storing it locally on their own computer rather than in the cloud. Promising a future where “one’s virtual self is as free as one’s physical self,” the platform ensures that people can still use a social network to connect with family and friends while maintaining control of their digital life.

Forward-thinking fashion brand Everlane recently launched a new series in partnership with their 100% Human collection called Human Heroes, which highlights inspiring activists. Initiatives such as these are part of Everlane’s brand fabric, quite literally—not only are all of Everlane’s products ethically sourced, the brand has recently raised over half a million dollars for organizations championing human rights. Human Heroes kicks off with Gloria Steinem, feminist, writer, and activist extraordinaire as she talks about where feminism has been and where it’s going. Using their platform to promote activism, Everlane is just one brand getting involved in the political conversation in a positive, empowering way.